The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-10-06

The omcs Of lfunedjim fashi still IN Exist
ence Some of the Duties Of the Cour
Astrologer--A 0olosh which Beloneed
10 l1ohammsd-Trsmendo Stories.
The Turks, from the highest to the
lowest, are all q prey to the devoutes,
superstition. The Office of Munedjim
Bashi, or court astrologer, still exists
Its present occupant, Hadji Tahir Ef
fendi, was until 1877 president Of the
council of education, and during the
short existence of the Turkish Parlia.
ment, nine years ago, was created SEN
ator. His duties are not of very com.
plex kind, but they have an important
bearing on political and social move
ments. For every action of the Sultan
and his ministers he has to
calculate the most propitious day,
hour and even minute; and he
publishes annually an almanac, in
which, for the benefit of the whole Mo.
hammedan population, the days are speci-
fed on which it is best to have the hair
cut or the nails trimmed, to take medi-
cine, or to be bled, to visit friends, to
buy houses, lands, or slaves, to under
take journey, and even to do nothing.
Next to the Koran no work is more
widely studied among the subjects of the
padishah, and 1t is very doubtful whether
even the great evangel of the Prophet is
more scrupulously obeyed.
Tremendous stories are sometimes re-
lated with the utmost naivete by the
Moslem newspapers. Not long ago the
Bassiret announced that Kurdish sheikh
in Central Asia possessed 'nalin," or
wooden golosh, that had belonged to the
prophet Mohammed. Straightway the
sheikh was commanded to bring his pre-
cious relic to Stamboul, and deposit It in
the imperial treasury. The holy golosh
was brought overland to samsun under
imposing escort, and thence by special
steamer transported to Constantinople,
where 1t was received by the grand vizier
them to the old Serai, followed by a
brilliant procession. The only evidence of
the genuineness of the golosh was few
stories told of 1t by the newspapers.
These related principally to the Journey
from Central Asia to Europe, and de-
scribed how the stormiest waters became
still when the golosh embarked upon
them, and how troops of the widest
animals surrounded the horse which car
ried 1t during the overland journey, rev.
erently guarding and escorting it certain
distances. Morris this credulity confined
to the common people or even the mid
die class. It is, for example, popularly
believed that the Hebrews possess the evil
eye; and when in 1874 the village of Ka-
dikoi was destroyed by an earthquake, a
poor Israelite named Bohor Levi was ar
rested on suspicion of having predicted
the catastrophe, and pasha Of education
seriously examined him on the charge.
Still more recently an astounding exam
pie of superstition displayed itself in
the Constantinople municipal council.
Near the Adrianople gate is large
open field belonging to Raouf Pasha.
The owner applied to the authorities for
permission to build on it; and it was re-
fused, on the ground that, according to
an ancient tradition, there is subterra-
mean and submarine road running from
the field in Question to the Vatican at
Rome, and that the Pope travels through
it to Constantinople every New Years
eve. Consequently, argued the civil
| ookCo, IL tuO uCAu WC1C UuAAt ONCl tuS
road might be stopped up, and there
would then be quarrel with the unbe
lieving pontiff, which might end in @
serious struggle between Islam and
Christendom. This decision was given
by the president of the municipal coun.
Gil, Edhem Pasha-not the vizier of that
name, but brother-in-law to the late
Sultan-and it was soberly recorded in
the minutes of the council and in the or
thOdox press of the country.
Some curious stories of Turkish super
stition are related. The mysterious Ca
price with which distinguished arrivals
at Constantinople are treated by the Sui
tan and his ministers is explained by ar
anecdote told of the well-known astron-
omer Peters when he visited Constants
nople in 1850 with letters of introduction
from Humboldt and other eminent men
of science. Ha found it impossible tt
proceed with the mission with which HI
was charged, because on the same day tina
he was presented to the grand vizier
Reshid Pasha, by the German ambassador
the man-of-war Nustretie was blown W
in the arsenal. "This Frankish astrono
mer," the grand vizier is reported Il
have said, "either knew that the ex
plosion was going to take place or die
not know. In the former event he is ,
mischievous person for not warning US
in the latter he is an impostor." Ant
forthwith the word was passed tina
Peters was not to be encouraged O.
assisted. Sometimes q visitor uncon
sciously carries his condemnation in hi
name. In the reign of Abdul Aziz no on
was more persistently snubbed at cour
than DR.. Muhlig, physician to the German
embassy, and all because the Turks pro
nounced his name "Muchlik," which il
Arabic means murderer" In sever
cases of sickness the services of the hakin
or physician are dispensed with and tn
prayers Of sheikh or holy man are requi
sitioned. As for the globular shape o
, the earth and its alleged revolutions, tn
, intelligent Mohammedsn laughs sue